LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — "The...doctor looked at Jeff and I and said, 'Who hurt your child?' and that was the first time that we had been in any inclination that Colton had been abused,” says Madison County mom, Liz Renner.
Renner shares that her son Colton was abused by a caregiver. Kosair for Kids has hosted training as a part of the 'Face It Movement' that advises community leaders and partners about the warning signs of abuse in children. This week they celebrated TEN-4 Awareness Day, which teaches to identify bruising on a child's torso, ears, and neck.
Dr. Kelsey Gregory is a Child Abuse Pediatrician with UK Health. She says, "Social workers, teachers, nurses, other medical providers that are seeing children -- really the onus is on all of us as adults to identify abuse."
Dr. Gregory has participated in these trainings for years. She explains that child abuse is a growing issue. In 2021, "Face It" reported more than 17,460 investigations of abuse and neglect -- down from 29,814 investigations in 2018.
"We [Kentucky] remain one of the top ten states when we're looking at rates of abuse. So, it's really important for us to be able to recognize those early signs of abuse in order to prevent further injury and potential death for children,” says Dr. Gregory.
Now, Renner and her family are coping with Colton’s condition. She urges other parents to know the signs and be mindful of who's watching their children.
She says, "Life for us has been countless therapies, countless doctors’ appointments. Colton has a history of seizures, cerebral palsy, cortical visual impairment, and mobility delays. Colton's quality of life is not what it normally would have been."
Dr. Gregory says, "In Kentucky, as adults, we are all mandated reporters. So, if we have concerns that a child is considering abuse or neglect, we are mandated to report that to the appropriate authorities."
